Nick Newell, who faced Justin Gaethje in a 2014 WSOF title fight, describes Gaethje as nearly impossible to stop, saying the only way to derail him is a knockout. Newell noted that despite audibly struggling with fatigue during their bout, Gaethje never changed his output, power, or forward pressure. Newell says Gaethje and Dricus Du Plessis are the only two fighters he has witnessed who maintain that same level regardless of how tired they become.
Nick Newell has offered a vivid firsthand account of what it is like to share a cage with Justin Gaethje, recalling their 2014 WSOF title fight and placing the Lightweight champion in rare company alongside Dricus Du Plessis.
Newell, a 40-year-old southpaw who carries a 14-2-0 professional record, described Gaethje as a fighter who is virtually impossible to derail short of a knockout. What stood out most to Newell was that even as Gaethje was audibly struggling with fatigue during their bout, nothing changed — not his output, not his power, and not his relentless forward pressure. Newell identified only one other fighter he has personally witnessed displaying that same quality under exhaustion, and that is Du Plessis.
Justin Gaethje, now 37 years old and the reigning Lightweight champion, has built his reputation on exactly the kind of pressure Newell describes. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 28-5-0 record, Gaethje lands 6.48 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate — numbers that reflect both his volume and his precision. He trains out of Genesis Training Center and fights out of an orthodox stance.
Dricus Du Plessis, the South African Middleweight ranked second in his division and seventh pound-for-pound, draws the comparison from Newell on the basis of the same unrelenting durability. The 32-year-old holds a 23-3-0 record and lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, also averaging 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes. Fighting out of a switch stance, Du Plessis has become known for his ability to maintain high output deep into championship rounds.
Why it matters
- Newell's account adds a credible insider perspective on Gaethje's physical and mental resilience, coming from someone who experienced it directly in a title fight setting.
- The comparison places Du Plessis in an elite tier of conditioning and pressure fighters, potentially shaping how opponents and analysts frame upcoming Middleweight title conversations.
- Both fighters compete at the top of their respective divisions, making the parallel a point of reference for style discussions across the sport.
